Cozmo(ore) v. Minimed

A full week of using the new Cozmo. Cozmore. Cozmonitor. Insert name here.... Anyhow, I'm not the greatest fan. It'll have to grow on me - since infusing insulin for a week obviously isn't enough.

I'd been on my Minimed (various versions from 508 to 515) for six years, since starting pump therapy back in my last year of college. So, this is probably just my reluctance of embracing a new gadget and having to part with a long-time partner in Dlife.

Tentatively, here's my initial list of the differences as I've come across them in my starter week.

a.) It has infrared beaming technology directly to the computer, complete with blood glucose monitor that attaches and shares all results with the FREE computer software. Deltec's Cozmo has Minimed beat in the dust on this one. This would be the main reason I switched from Minimed to this Cozmo.

But there's caveats...

b.) This case is bulky, and the clip doesn't easily come loose from its spot at the beltline. By comparison, not thinner and handy and practical for a young professional often wearing a suit or shirt and tie to work who needs constant access to the pump. There's a holster case, however the blood glucose clip makes the pump unable to fit inside. Therefore, there's one case.

c.) The pump faces vertically, rather than horizontally as the Minimed. Again, less practical. If you're wearing it on the belt, it's much more difficult - just less of impossible - to view the screen adequately from this angle. As the home screen text and font is smaller than the minimed, you must take it off the belt, which as mentiond above, is tough enough.

c. ) To beam, you must DISCONNECT the blood glucose monitor that clips to the pump's back. That means UNSCREWING the battery cap slightly if not the entire way, which in my opinion is more difficult and frustrating than the minimed cap undoing. The genius who configured the layout of the Cozmore joint system managed to put the beaming eyes on the BACKSIDE of the pump, meaning the BG monitor covers it up while attached.

d.) The motor clicks quiet loudly, at least in comparison to the Minimed. And it ain't discreet when delivering a bolus - the screen backlight blinks repeatedly, and the motor whirrs quite loudly.

e.) Marketing people say it's more user-friendly because it has homescreens. I really don't see the point of three different homescreens. Again, it's not practical. And you must go through multiple menu screens to get to your basals. Just call a basal a basal, please.

f.) Infusion sets - seems like there's more tiny pieces to lose track of and eventually run over with the vacuum. And, there's an extra needle that's been thrown into the process - one for infusion set, another for insulin-loading the reservoir.

Ultimately, I'm torn. Maybe I should have gone on a trial run before going ahead with the Cozmo. People are great, I'll give Smiths-Medical that. They even got my original Minimed pump rep. But the quality - it makes me feel as though I've stepped back in time, that this was designed by someone who doesn't wear an insulin pump and know what it's like to manage this in daily life. The elements just aren't very practical.

Of course, the whole thing is completely FREE. Insurance covers 90 percent, and the trade-in-your old pump $500 credit makes it all costless, even as far as a partial payment on future supplies. And to upgrade, no cost. Not like Minimed's Pathways program that makes you foot an "affordable fee" everytime you upgrade. And doesn't have the beaming tech this one does now, despite the latest Real-Time push.

So, am I willing to trade in some practicality and modern convienences I've become accustomed to these past six years for money-saving? Likely so. The woes encountered thus far will likely diminish as I become familiar with my new friend Coz (Kramer as my wife calls it), and will probably be resolved in future versions of the pump. The newest one tomorrow is already obsolete, the way we move these days. So, I'll manage. Pump trainer woman may be scheduled for next week, or three weeks from now if the sooner time doesn't work out. So, in the meantime, it's up to me and my 220-page picture user guide that offers guidance and tips and has a whole section on practicality that relates to none of the concerns I've mentioned above....

We move on, though, and you have to concede that it probably doesn't really matter which insulin-system you use, it all comes back to your resolve in managing diabetes. Regardless of the technology. As my endo says: "It's not the pump. It's you."

Comments

Kevin said…
Thanks for the run-down on the Minimed vs. Cozmo differences. I've been with Minimed for almost 7 years now, and haven't had the guts to change for much of the reasons you site.

Sorry you're having a hard time adapting.

I'm still not a big fan of Minimed's software... Is the Cozmo software any better?

And I think you're dead on about what your endo said: "It's not the pump, it's you." I was on a pump for 5+ years before *I* got serious about my control. Once I did, though, I came to really see the beauty of the pump in helping me take better control.

Best of luck!

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